“We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed.”
The Futurists encouraged the ushering in of new technology to the streets of Rome at any opportunity they could. Something as simple as an electric street lamp, depicted here Giacomo Balla, was seen as a leap forward in the world, leaving behind the oil lamp's reminisced upon within the Manifesto's own pages in favor of artificial illumination of the historic streets. Suddenly, with one switch, mankind can overpower the moonlight that has given muse to the founders of the cities the futurists want to tear down.
This attack is evident within the romanticized depiction of an early streetlamp. The apparent explosion of light drowns out any influence the crescent moon has, leaving it nearly indistinguishable from the sharp bursts of light radiating from the lamp. Nothing surrounding the post is visible; once the illumination from the lamp ceases, only darkness remains. There is no ambiance of the city present outside the reach of the man made in the futurists vision. With this, they have accomplished their goal of replacing the old beauty of the Moon in favor of their new manufactured innovation. Looking back, this is a warning for future implications of technology adopted in rapid succession by the Futurist movement; an ominous sign of the brutality on mankind their oversights would accompany.